POLOKWANE – Communication and the forming of words is something that on learns from a young age. Before one utters a word, the body language, behaviour and actions have already communicated more than enough. This is called nonverbal communication and is one of the most important ways in which individuals communicate.
Knowing how to read another’s nonverbal communication is an important aspect, and keeping that in mind, Review met up with Child Psychologist Frank Moloi to find out more on this form of communication. “Nonverbal communication plays an important role in how children convey meaning and information to others, as well as how we interpret the actions of those around us. The important thing to remember when looking at such nonverbal behaviours is to consider the actions in groups. What a person actually says along with his or her expressions, appearance and tone of voice might tell you a great deal about what that person or child is really trying to say,” Moloi explained.
According to a number of experts, individuals respond to a fair amount of this form of communication on a daily basis, most of which is characterized by nonverbal cues, posture, facial expressions and gestures. This can also be helpful when dealing with children who are suffering from some sort of bullying. “In many cases, children communicate information in nonverbal ways using groups of behaviors. For example, they might combine a frown with crossed arms and an unblinking eye gaze to indicate disapproval,” Moloi added.
As a Child Psychologist, Frank Moloi has often had to deal with children who have been abused or those who have experienced other traumatic events and in order to understand their story, has to make use of nonverbal communication to offer these children his assistance.
Here are some things to look out for:
• Paralinguistics – Vocal communication which includes factors such as one’s tone of voice, loudness, inflection, and pitch. Consider the powerful effect that one’s tone of voice can have on the meaning of a sentence. “When a child is bullied he may deny it in a high pitched tone indicating that it is something they may not want to talk about,” Moloi added.
• Body Language and Posture- This can also convey a great deal of information. “A child may cross his or her arms or clinch a car seat when on the way to school. This shows that the child may not like or even be afraid to go to school,” Moloi added.
• Eye Gaze – The eyes play an important role in nonverbal communication and things such as looking, staring and blinking are important nonverbal behaviors. “This may be something better seen by a parent who knows a child, showing wild or big open eyes when asked about something that may scare them,” he explained.
• Gestures – Deliberate movements and signals are an important way to communicate meaning without the use of words. Common gestures include waving, pointing, and using fingers to indicate numeric amounts.
• Haptics – Communicating through touch is another important nonverbal behavior. “Here a child may cling to his or her mother when being dropped off and shows that they may be too scared and may be an indication of being bullied,” Moloi explained.
• Artifacts – Objects and images are also tools that can be used to communicate. People and especially children often spend a great deal of time developing a particular image and surrounding themselves with objects designed to convey information on the things that are important to them. “Here a child may draw a picture of something and scratch over it showing that they may not like what they drew. This may be a drawing of an individual or an institution. This can indicate bullying,” he shared.
• Facial Expression – The look on a person’s face is often the first thing we see, even before we hear what they have to say. “Children will frown very easily when there is something they do not like. Asking a child for instance if they like their friends at school and it resulting in a frown can indicate that the friend may be a point to investigate further,” he added.
According to Moloi, a lot of problems could easily be resolved or avoided if one were to take note of another’s behaviour. “People are sometimes fast to judge others because they think they know what a person thinks and feels and they are in most instances wrong . A lot of conflict may be resolved and avoided if people just look at each other and see more than what they want to,” Moloi concluded.
